Can You Take Gleolan with Methotrexate?

Caffeine may reduce the effectiveness of methotrexate in the treatment of arthritis. If you are receiving methotrexate for arthritis, you may want to limit your intake of caffeine-containing foods and medications. Check with your doctor or pharmacist if you have concerns or are uncertain what products may contain caffeine.

Methotrexate may cause liver problems, and using it with other medications that can also affect the liver such as ethanol (alcohol) may increase that risk. You should avoid or limit the use of alcohol while being treated with these medications. Call your doctor immediately if you have fever, chills, joint pain or swelling, unusual bleeding or bruising, skin rash, itching, loss of appetite, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dark urine, pale stools, and/or yellowing of the skin or eyes, as these may be signs and symptoms of liver damage. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions or concerns. It is important to tell your doctor about all other medications you use, including vitamins and herbs. Do not stop using any medications without first talking to your doctor.

Caffeine may reduce the effectiveness of methotrexate in the treatment of arthritis. If you are receiving methotrexate for arthritis, you may want to limit your intake of caffeine-containing foods and products. Contact your doctor if your symptoms worsen or your condition changes during treatment with these medications. Your doctor may be able to prescribe alternatives that do not interact. It is important to tell your doctor about all other medications you use, including vitamins and herbs. Do not stop using any medications without first talking to your doctor.

The use of methotrexate is contraindicated as treatment for psoriasis or rheumatoid arthritis in patients with alcoholism, alcoholic liver disease or other chronic liver diseases. Methotrexate causes hepatotoxicity, fibrosis and cirrhosis, usually after long-term therapy. Fibrosis and cirrhosis may not be preceded by symptoms or abnormal liver function tests. If methotrexate is used, patients should be instructed to immediately report any signs or symptoms suggestive of hepatic dysfunction such as jaundice, dark urine, right upper quadrant pain, or anorexia. Persistent liver function test abnormalities and/or depression of serum albumin may require evaluation, including a liver biopsy.

Methotrexate can induce myelosuppression causing leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, pancytopenia and anemia. Therapy with methotrexate is contraindicated as treatment of psoriasis in patients with bone marrow suppression or preexisting blood dyscrasias. Methotrexate should be discontinued immediately in patients with psoriasis or rheumatoid arthritis if there is a significant fall in blood cell counts. If need outweighs risk, therapy with methotrexate should be administered cautiously in patients with malignancy and hematopoietic impairment. Additionally, methotrexate should be used with extreme caution in patients with active infection, and it is usually contraindicated in patients with overt or laboratory evidence of immunodeficiency syndromes. Patients should be instructed to immediately report any signs or symptoms suggesting bone marrow suppression or infection such as fever, sore throat, or bleeding. Clinical monitoring of hematopoietic function is recommended.

Methotrexate can induce myelosuppression causing leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, pancytopenia and anemia. Therapy with methotrexate is contraindicated as treatment of psoriasis in patients with bone marrow suppression or preexisting blood dyscrasias. Methotrexate should be discontinued immediately in patients with psoriasis or rheumatoid arthritis if there is a significant fall in blood cell counts. If need outweighs risk, therapy with methotrexate should be administered cautiously in patients with malignancy and hematopoietic impairment. Additionally, methotrexate should be used with extreme caution in patients with active infection, and it is usually contraindicated in patients with overt or laboratory evidence of immunodeficiency syndromes. Patients should be instructed to immediately report any signs or symptoms suggesting bone marrow suppression or infection such as fever, sore throat, or bleeding. Clinical monitoring of hematopoietic function is recommended.

Methotrexate induces stomatitis within the oral mucosa and gastrointestinal tract. Therapy with methotrexate should be administered with extreme caution in patients with peptic ulcer disease or ulcerative colitis. If vomiting, diarrhea or ulcerative stomatitis occur, treatment should be discontinued until recovery to avoid the risk of hemorraghic enteritis or intestinal perforation which could be fatal.

Because of their cytotoxic effects on rapidly proliferating tissues, antineoplastic agents frequently can, to varying extent, induce myelosuppression. The use of these drugs may be contraindicated in patients with known infectious diseases. All patients should be instructed to immediately report any signs or symptoms suggesting infection such as fever, sore throat, or local infection during antineoplastic therapy. Close clinical monitoring of hematopoietic function is recommended.

Methotrexate can induce myelosuppression causing leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, neutropenia, pancytopenia and anemia. Therapy with methotrexate is contraindicated as treatment of psoriasis in patients with bone marrow suppression or preexisting blood dyscrasias. Methotrexate should be discontinued immediately in patients with psoriasis or rheumatoid arthritis if there is a significant fall in blood cell counts. If need outweighs risk, therapy with methotrexate should be administered cautiously in patients with malignancy and hematopoietic impairment. Additionally, methotrexate should be used with extreme caution in patients with active infection, and it is usually contraindicated in patients with overt or laboratory evidence of immunodeficiency syndromes. Patients should be instructed to immediately report any signs or symptoms suggesting bone marrow suppression or infection such as fever, sore throat, or bleeding. Clinical monitoring of hematopoietic function is recommended.

Methotrexate induces stomatitis within the oral mucosa and gastrointestinal tract. Therapy with methotrexate should be administered with extreme caution in patients with peptic ulcer disease or ulcerative colitis. If vomiting, diarrhea or ulcerative stomatitis occur, treatment should be discontinued until recovery to avoid the risk of hemorraghic enteritis or intestinal perforation which could be fatal.

The use of methotrexate is contraindicated as treatment for psoriasis or rheumatoid arthritis in patients with alcoholism, alcoholic liver disease or other chronic liver diseases. Methotrexate causes hepatotoxicity, fibrosis and cirrhosis, usually after long-term therapy. Fibrosis and cirrhosis may not be preceded by symptoms or abnormal liver function tests. If methotrexate is used, patients should be instructed to immediately report any signs or symptoms suggestive of hepatic dysfunction such as jaundice, dark urine, right upper quadrant pain, or anorexia. Persistent liver function test abnormalities and/or depression of serum albumin may require evaluation, including a liver biopsy.

Methotrexate induces stomatitis within the oral mucosa and gastrointestinal tract. Therapy with methotrexate should be administered with extreme caution in patients with peptic ulcer disease or ulcerative colitis. If vomiting, diarrhea or ulcerative stomatitis occur, treatment should be discontinued until recovery to avoid the risk of hemorraghic enteritis or intestinal perforation which could be fatal.

Methotrexate is primarily eliminated by the kidney via glomerular filtration and active secretion. Clearance rates for methotrexate vary and at higher doses are generally decreased due to saturation of renal tubular reabsorption. Renal impairment or third space effusion (ascites, pleural effusions), decrease elimination and increase methotrexate serum concentrations. Therapy with methotrexate should be administered cautiously and at reduced dosages in patients with compromised renal function. Administration of leucovorin reduces toxicity from high dose methotrexate regimens or delayed elimination. Clinical monitoring of renal function is recommended.

The use aminolevulinic acid (ALA) oral solution is contraindicated in patients with acute or chronic types of porphyria, due to potential ineffectiveness of the drug in these patients.

Methotrexate is primarily eliminated by the kidney via glomerular filtration and active secretion. Clearance rates for methotrexate vary and at higher doses are generally decreased due to saturation of renal tubular reabsorption. Renal impairment or third space effusion (ascites, pleural effusions), decrease elimination and increase methotrexate serum concentrations. Therapy with methotrexate should be administered cautiously and at reduced dosages in patients with compromised renal function. Administration of leucovorin reduces toxicity from high dose methotrexate regimens or delayed elimination. Clinical monitoring of renal function is recommended.

The effect of hepatic impairment on the pharmacokinetics of aminolevulinic acid (ALA) oral solution is unknown. The contribution of the liver to the elimination of ALA is unknown. ALA clearance may be reduced in patients with hepatic impairment. Care should be exercise when administering this agent in patients with liver impairment as it is not known if dose adjustment is needed.

The effect of renal impairment on the pharmacokinetics of aminolevulinic acid (ALA) oral solution is unknown. Approximately one third of the ALA dose is excreted in urine as parent drug and drug clearance may be reduced in patients with renal impairment. Care should be exercise when administering this agent in patients with renal impairment as it is not known if dose adjustment is needed.